This invention relates to a recoil buffer unit for a pistol.
Most conventional semi-automatic pistols are provided with a reciprocating slide which is movable on a base member, the base member carrying the barrel of the pistol. The slide has a forward end through which the barrel of the pistol projects, from which there depends a portion having a bore for accommodating a recoil spring guide rod. The recoil spring guide rod guides a recoil spring which acts between the forward end of the slide and the base member, and returns the slide to its original non-firing position after recoil of the slide, during which the slide moves rearwardly relative to the base member and barrel.
The abutment surfaces provided on both the slide and the base member abruptly halt the rearward movement of the slide relative to the base member by striking against one another. The metal abutment surfaces strike one another each time the pistol is fired, causing metal fatigue and possible cracking of both the slide and the base member thereby shortening the lifespan of the pistol.
A typical pistol of the type described above is the Beretta 92F 9 mm pistol, also known as the M-9. In this pistol, the return spring guide rod is a sliding fit in the bore. The abutment surface on the slide is constituted by a rear face of the lower tubular portion through which the guide rod extends. The pounding that this rear face is subjected to each time it contacts the corresponding abutment surface on the base member can result in permanent damage of the tubular portion after extended use of the pistol.